OK, so it's actually 97 as I write this, but just had a doctor appointment today, and so this is the latest info I have...and it should not change all that much in three days.
As of this writing, I am three bowling balls lighter than when I was diagnosed (ok, ALOMST three...I got a half-pound to go on that one.) I throw a 14-pound ball...and I am now 41.5 pounds lighter than at diagnosis...so 42 would be a full three bowling balls lighter.
I was diagnosed on March 31, 2015. At that time, I had a FASTING blood glucose reading of 388 (healthy range is 70-100, for perspective) - and I had an A1c of 13.2 (healthy is below 6.0 for regular people, below 7.0 for diabetics...for perspective)
Since my diagnosis, I have learned much...and often have wondered if there is more learning than unlearning...because I have UNLEARNED a lot of things, too!
My weight, at the time of diagnosis, was a whopping 304.5 (and the heaviest I have EVER been was 324.0) This gave me a BMI of well over 40. Today, my BMI is 37.7 - still too high, but great progress in roughly 100 days!
It took a lot of years to put all this weight on...fortunately, it will take fewer to take them off.
My last A1c reading, nearly a month ago, was 9.2 (a four-point drop in two months is awesome, by the way) and this morning, a non-fasting post-breakfast, post-exercise reading at the doctor's office was 100.
When I was diagnosed, I could not have walked four blocks. The other day, I walked four MILES. This is not actually normal for me, my average tends to be 2-3 miles a day now, with a goal of 20 miles a week, minimum. Rainy days don't help...but fortunately, because of the weather here in North Carolina (Tarheels can attest to this) I can usually find a window during the day, three times a day, to get in at least a mile each time...and not get rained on.
Lately, I have begun trying to break up my exercise to about 25 minutes after every major meal, instead of all at once. Because I work for myself, from home...and for a doctor, I get to do what I want...especially when I am doing it on doctor's orders or because of my health.
I do know that 25 minutes of moderate exercise can drop my BG 20 points. And since the time at which BG is highest is right after eating...it makes sense to me to exercise right after every meal, instead of all at once, to maintain better BG control all day long. We will see how this works out.
I just now as I am writing, took a two-hour post-prandial, post exercise reading...and the result is 107. Anything below 120 two hours postprandial is good. BG over 140 is where damage associated with diabetes occurs. Which is why I thought it might be better to exercise after EVERY meal...instead of doing it all at once.
I am working up to the sort of treatment Dr. Jason Fung describes in treating Type 2 diabetics like myself. Right now I am closer to the 16:8 Diet than to Dr. Fung, who recommends Intermittent Fasting...but changes need to be made slowly in a diabetic...so that if any unwanted effect occurs, it is easier to isolate what caused the unwanted effect.
Since one normally goes 10-14 hours fasting already, just from overnight sleeping, I am trying to have my dinner slightly earlier...and my breakfast slightly later, to increase the amount of time fasting. Until I have achieved two times a week of dinner-to-dinner fasting. Ideally, I want to be at 16:8 the other days, so I am there right now...dinner at 6PM, breakfast at 10AM...but not every day works out quite like this yet.
I had a full metabolic workup done, and determined what my metabolic rate is, so that I could set a realistic weight loss calorie goal. For me, this is 1800 calories a day. Additionally, I have a goal of burning 400 calories a day in actual exercise...currently I am closer to 500.
I am also severely restricting my carbohydrates. For normal people, carbs are NOT the poison they are to a diabetic like me. For me, they should put a skull-and-crossbones on cereal boxes, for example. I might as well eat rat poison...it would be about as healthy!
So I tend toward eggs, yogurt or bacon or even nuts for breakfast these days. I have really had to think outside the American Breakfast Box to get lower carbs for breakfast...most traditional breakfast foods are loaded with carbohydrates. Diabetics all agree that breakfast is the toughest meal of the day...until they, like me...look outside of the traditional American breakfast.
It turns out that fat is not the great big bugaboo we have been told it was for the last fifty years, either. Trans-fats ARE bad, yes. But saturated fat is not a problem, really. It becomes a problem when also combined with a high amount of carbohydrates!
So I go for a balance of 25/25/50 carb/protein/fat ratio...because fat grams are twice as many calories as the other two. Preferably even lower on the carbs, but any time I am 25% or less I consider that a good day. I am currently taking in around 100 grams of carb a day or less...would like to get down to 50 or less...but Rome was not built in a day.
But the big news for me is this: I am now off two out of three of the blood pressure meds I was on!! And I was on these FOR YEARS!
I am also looking into diabetes-specific multivitamin supplements and Brewer's Yeast for the beta-glucans, which are supposed to help regluate your blood sugar (also the trace mineral chromium has a blood glucose regulating effect)
I am learning much, unlearning more, and making strides to better health. I have goals now, and I am on track to meet them:
By June 1, 2016 (fifteen months after diagnosis) I will have achieved the following:
1. I will be below 200 pounds for the first time since high school.
2. I will have morning bloodsugars in the healthy 70-110 range - preferably, below 90.
3. I will have an A1c of 6.5 or less (remember, 7.0 or less is healthy for diabetics)
4. I will be off all medications for my diabetes, no Metformin, no insulin - and managing my condition entirely and soley with diet and exercise.
5. I will NEVER require insulin. EVER. The price of the stuff ought to be CRIMINAL. My doctor agreed with that last sentiment, by the way!
All of this means what?? My diabetes is cured? NOPE. Diabetes is a lifelong condition, once you have it, you have it. THERE IS NO CURE. But my diabetes will be in remission. If I achieve the goals I outlined, my diabetes will be in full remission. Meaning I will not deteriorate and have the complications associated with diabetes (amputations, kidney problems, dialysis, neropathy, retinopathy leading to blindness, among them) But this is a lifestyle I will now have to maintain for life. This is no fad diet, and there is no getting off this...MY LIFE DEPENDS ON THIS NOW.
My doctor did say that I am a new breed of patient he has been seeing over the past about five years...the ones like me who are choosing to aggressively manage their diabetes...instead of just taking our insulin and doing nothing else, and just deteriorating. Doctor said he liked the trend he was seeing, and he will do everything he can to keep me on track - and steer me away from any ideas I might have which would actually be dangerous.
So, today, my doctor is a very happy man.
And I am a very happy lady. I feel better than I have in years. My blood pressure meds are reduced. My blood sugar seems to be in pretty good control. My sleep apnea is diminishing. I have more energy than I have in years, I no longer need an afternon nap. And I have gotten more exercise in the last two months than I got in the last ten YEARS.